Working Conditions in Complementary and Integrative Healthcare Professions
Margaret D Whitley1, Jocelyn Faydenko, Dana Madigan
1From the Behavioral and Policy Sciences, RAND, Santa Monica, California (M.D.W.); Research Department, National University of Health Sciences, Lombard, Illinois (J.F., D.M.); School of Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (D.M.); Whole Health, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Austin, Texas (J.S,F.); and Research Institute, Bastyr University, Kenmore, Washington State (J.S.F.).
Objective:
The study aimed to describe working conditions among complementary and integrative healthcare (CIH) providers, specifically acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, midwives, and naturopathic doctors.
Methods:
We used cross-sectional Occupational Information Network data (2013-2021) for five CIH occupations. We examined means and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 10 variables that represented positive conditions, ergonomic demands, psychosocial demands, and schedule demands. We compared CIH to conventional healthcare and non-healthcare occupations.
Results:
CIH occupations had relatively high degrees of positive conditions, moderate degrees of psychosocial demands, and moderate hours/scheduling. Massage therapists, chiropractors, and acupuncturists reported more ergonomic hazards (eg, 1-5 scale where 5 is the highest, mean bending/twisting frequency for chiropractors is 3.43 [95% CI, 3.80-4.05] compared to 2.17 for midwives [95% CI, 1.97-2.36] and 1.96 for managers [95% CI, 1.42-2.51]).
Conclusions:
CIH occupations generally had healthy working conditions, although ergonomic hazards were prominent.
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